


First Time For Everything

by Daovihi



Series: Laying Down Their Swords [2]
Category: Dragon Quest Series, Dragon Quest XI
Genre: Act 2 Spoilers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beaches, Day At The Beach, F/M, Genderfluid Sylvia | Sylvando (Dragon Quest XI), Learning to Swim, Misunderstandings, Other, Queer Relationship, Spoilers, aka regular jasper, confessing during an argument, gratuitous muffin, post act 2, rodrigo makes a brief appearance, sylv is female for the entire fic, sylvs blue swimsuit that might come from one of the dq apps, tsundere jasper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-15
Updated: 2020-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:54:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22742839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daovihi/pseuds/Daovihi
Summary: Sylvia brings Jasper to the beach so that they can enjoy the beautiful day under the Valorian sun. But is there an ulterior motive to this plan? And is Jasper hiding something under that standoffish exterior of his?
Relationships: Homer | Jasper/Sylvia | Sylvando (Dragon Quest XI)
Series: Laying Down Their Swords [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1864123
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	First Time For Everything

**Author's Note:**

> shoutout to my bff mlter for helping me w the spanish and the food names. youre the best
> 
> i hc that jasper has a scar on his face that he covers w his bangs, so thats a thing. also, in this, hes living in puerto valor cuz he didnt die and hes redeemed/being rehabilitated/whatever

Sylvia drops the bag with a dramatic groan, then raises her arms above her head and stretches her back for show. "Phew! What a load!"

The load, in question, is a pink canvas beach bag filled with sunscreen, three waterskins, part of Sylvia's swimsuit, and two towels. Hanging from the side is a name tag with both versions of Sylvia's name on it.

"Do you honestly consider THAT to be heavy?" Jasper gestures to the bag with the hand holding his drink. "You must be neglecting your weight training."

"I can never tell if you are joking, dearie." Sylvia comments as she unrolls the towels onto the sand.

"Can you hold my drink for a moment?"

"Of course." Sylvia takes the glass of thick purple liquid with a straw and a little parasol in it. "What is it?"

"It is a berry smoothie." Jasper explains as he stabs the umbrella he was carrying into the ground. "I got it from, ngh," Jasper grunts as he struggles with the umbrella's mechanism. "From a stall not too far from here." The umbrella abruptly opens, nearly cutting Jasper. "Goddess!"

"Are you okay? Do you need me to heal you?" Sylvia's brows knit together as she prepares Reheal.

"No." Jasper shakes his head as he gingerly touches his cheek. "My pride is gravely wounded, but other than that, I am fine."

"I could kiss it better, you know. They say my kisses can heal anything." Sylvia suggests with a wink and a tilt of her head.

Jasper's mouth hangs open for a moment before it snaps shut with an audible click. "Give me my drink. Now."

Before Sylvia can respond, Jasper yanks the glass out of her hand, lifts the straw to his lips, and downs a fourth of it in seconds. Sylvia frowns. Did she upset Jasper?

Jasper turns his head to the side, making his slight change in complexion clear as day. "Did you put on sunscreen?"

"Yes, darling. Did you?"

"Yes." Jasper brings his drink away from his face and takes a deep breath.. "And what of your swimsuit?"

"Right here." Sylvia brings her pearl jewelry, skirt, and blue bands out of the bag.

"Hm. Everything seems to be in order." Jasper slightly nods, taking another sip of his smoothie. Then, he carefully sets the glass on his towel and lifts the bottom of his shirt up.

Sylvia starts taking her shirt off as well, eyeing each inch of skin Jasper reveals. A few scars litter his toned body, and Sylvia feels a twinge of guilt when she recognizes some as wounds she and her friends gave to Jasper. Sylvia looks away as she puts her shirt in the bag, leaving her chest bare. She lifts her hips up and lowers her shorts. When she reaches her ankles, she feels someone's gaze boring into her, but when she turns to look, Jasper is merely taking his own shoes off. Sylvia frowns and slides the shorts over her sandals, leaving her in her blue bikini bottom, and the sandals with cloth extending to her knees to emulate boots, with pearl anklets around both of her ankles.

Sylvia glances at Jasper to see he's only in white swim trunks and sunglasses. He's sitting on his towel, sipping on his smoothie, seemingly without a care in the world. Sylvia takes a moment to admire Jasper's appearance before she gets to work securing her ruffled skirt and jewelry to her body. When she's done, pearls adorn her body, wrapping around her wrists, her blue arm and legbands, her skirt, earlobes, and around her neck. The two necklaces, one with several pearls and three fangs, and the other with less pearls but with a round blue gem, teasingly hang around Sylvia's collarbone, drawing attention to her chest.

Sylvia lifts her left leg up, letting the slit in her skirt open to show her bare thigh off. "Jasper, honey?"

Jasper turns his head towards Sylvia, keeping his lips on his smoothie. His features tense up, and he sucks his smoothie so fast Sylvia barely registers it until it's completely gone.

"How do I look?" Sylvia holds her arms out to accentuate her muscles.

Jasper's lips part with an audible pop. For a moment, all is quiet, but then Jasper breaks the silence. "You look…" Jasper says quietly. He then mutters the next part too low for Sylvia to hear.

"Can you use your stage voice, darling?"

Jasper clears his throat. "I said you look like a mermaid."

"Why, thank you." Sylvia smiles, batting her eyelids. "You know, I bought this swimsuit hoping a veeery handsome man would notice."

"…Is that so?"

"Mhm." Sylvia leans towards Jasper, twirling her hair, dry, soft, and curly from lack of product, with her finger. "In fact, I heard a certain someone I have my eye on is going to be on this beach. I wanted them to look at me and be stunned by how beautiful I am."

Jasper huffs, turns away, and crosses his arms, tilting his glass so much the remainder of the smoothie clinging to the sides of the cup come dangerously close to spilling. "I did not say you are beautiful. In fact, you look hideous. You are a hideous mermaid."

Sylvia gasps indignantly. "Jasper!"

Jasper sighs. "Fine. You are a plain, mediocre mermaid."

Sylvia lightly smacks Jasper on the arm. "You are such a meanie!"

"What can I say? Everyone considers me to be evil for a reason."

Sylvia pouts and looks away.

"But, um, for what it is worth…" Jasper nibbles at his lip. "Your hair does look nice."

Sylvia raises her hand to her hair and smiles. "Thank you. Do you… think I should keep it natural more often?"

"Perhaps. If that is what you want." Jasper scoffs. "I, personally, think you should, but that is only my opinion. You should do what your heart desires."

So that's a yes. "Then I guess I will!"

The corners of Jasper's lips twitch upward. He leans backwards until he's lying down, then brings his hand underneath his head. "So, um, what would you like to do today?"

"Why, swim, of course!" Sylvia dramatically puts her hand on her chest. "It is my absolute favorite beachtime activity!"

"You could also sunbathe with me." Jasper suggests. "I will not object to your presence."

Sylvia ponders it, then shakes her head. "Iiiiii do not feel like it."

"Hm." Jasper frowns. "Have fun swimming."

"…Don't you want to swim with me?"

"No."

"Oh." Sylvia looks at her lap. "I will, uh, leave you to it." She gets up and walks into the water without looking behind her. She takes a moment to savor the salty air and cool water against her skin before pushing her feet off the sand and paddling with her arms.

Sylvia smiles as the brine washes over her body, relaxing the sore muscles that come from straining too hard during battle, or practice acts that result in Sylvia getting hurt. She eventually relaxes, turns her body skyward, and allows herself to float along the waves. She picks out little shapes in the clouds, and finds a cat, a dolphin, and a tree before she picks up movement in the corner of her eye.

Sylvia turns her gaze to shore. Jasper is wading into the water, having discarded his sunglasses at some point. Sylvia smiles and swims towards Jasper.

"I am sooo so so happy you decided to join me!" Sylvia is all sunshine as she shouts to Jasper, staying just beyond where her feet would touch the sea floor.

"Sunbathing is always boring without a companion." Jasper shrugs. He stops when the water meets his mid-thigh.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Come over!" Sylvia beckons to Jasper. When Jasper does nothing, Sylvia furrows her brows. "What's wrong, darling?"

"Nothing."

"Then come join me!"

"I already have."

"I mean out here!"

"No." Jasper flat-out refuses.

Sylvia tilts her head to the side. "I thought you wanted to swim."

"I do."

"Then why don't you swim with me?"

"I am on my period." Jasper says without a hint of sarcasm or humor. "I will attract monsters."

Sylvia sighs and swims to be closer to Jasper, then stands on the sand. "I know you don't own a uterus. Even if you did, blood attracting monsters is not true. Plenty of people on their periods swim here, and monsters don't attack them."

Jasper flinches. "I… suppose so."

"So swim with me!" Sylvia invitingly holds her hand out to Jasper with a smile on her face. When Jasper only stares at it, Sylvia lets it drop a little. "You… do know how to swim, right?"

Jasper scoffs and turns his nose at Sylvia. "Of course I know how to swim! I was the highest ranking soldier under both Heliodor's reign, AND under Mordegon's!"

"Then what is the problem?"

Jasper looks at Sylvia for a moment, then his face betrays the moment a metaphorical lightbulb goes off above his head. "I simply do not want my hair to get wet."

"Ayúdame diosa mío…" Sylvia groans.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing." Sylvia shakes her head. "You can always dry your hair off later. I can even cast Woosh to help you." Sylvia suggests. "Though if you cannot swim…"

"I can!" Jasper shouts a little too loudly.

Just then, Sylvia gets an idea. "How fast can you swim?"

"I can swim well enough." Jasper's eyes narrow.

"I can swim so fast I leave behind giant wakes!" Sylvia brags.

"You lie."

"How do you think I swam to my ship back in Gondolia so fast?" Sylvia raises a brow. Jasper has no retort for that. "I can show you how, if you want."

Jasper's eyes dart around. "I… suppose I could allow you to teach me."

"Wonderful!" Sylvia brings her hands together. "Follow me, darling!"

Sylvia wades into the water, letting it come waist-high before stopping. She turns around to face Jasper, who is warily eyeing at the water. "Time for the Great Sylvia's first swimming lesson!"

"This is not a swimming lesson!" Jasper shouts indignantly. "Swimming lessons are for those of us who cannot swim to save their lives!"

"Then the Great Sylvia's swimming… tips!" Sylvia falters for a moment before smoothly recovering. "First things first: let's start floating!" The way Jasper's throat bobs does not escape Sylvia's observant eye. "All you have to do is tilt your body back and relax. You'll float like a rubber duckie in no time!"

"That is easier said than done." Jasper mutters. "I will surely sink like a brick."

"Don't you worry, honey." Sylvia boops Jasper on the nose, making Jasper blink in surprise. "I will keep my hands under you so you do not sink." Sylvia moves her hands behind Jasper's back.

Jasper sighs before leaning back. His cool skin meets Sylvia's warm, wet hands, making him close his eyes. Before he knows it, Sylvia is supporting him as his body floats atop the waves.

"Now, your hips might sink a little. They just want to be in the water. Let them enjoy themselves." Sylvia hesitantly takes a hand away.

Jasper breathes deep through his nose and allows his hips to sink. The rest of his legs stay afloat along with his chest and head. The waves splash water across his body, highlighting the hard planes of his muscles, with water droplets tantalizingly dripping along the divots. His hair has slipped from his face, revealing the large burn scar around his eye that he's so self-conscious about, and that Sylvia wants to kiss until Jasper forgets all of his insecurities.

Sylvia doesn't want to ever stop touching Jasper. In fact, she wants to prolong this moment of trust between them, where Jasper is relaxing above Sylvia's firm, protective hand, but all good things must come to an end. With a slight twinge in her heart, she slowly drops her other hand, allowing Jasper to float freely.

"Jasper? Open your eyes." Sylvia gently calls out.

Jasper does just that, letting his gaze focus on Sylvia. Sylvia gives him a big smile before lifting her hands up into the air. Jasper's eyes widen, and he tenses up in shock, but he stays afloat.

"I thought you were-" Jasper abruptly stops. "You said you would support me."

"I was, until I was absolutely certain you could do it by yourself. And look at you! You are doing so, so good!" Sylvia praises, smile only getting bigger and bigger. "You are a natural!"

Jasper looks anything but happy about that. A deep frown etches into his face. "I suppose so…"

Why isn't Jasper happy? Is he just trying to hide his emotions? Goddess, what Sylvia wouldn't do to get inside that handsome head of his. She decides to disregard Jasper's apparent lack of happiness and keep teaching in the hopes of making Jasper happier. "Now that we have got that covered, it is time to move on to the main event!" Sylvia raises her arm skyward. "First, lift your arm up like you are reaching for an apple on a tree."

Jasper keeps his eyes on Sylvia as he copies her. "This feels so stupid." He comments under his breath.

"Now, bring your arm down like so," Sylvia lowers her arm behind her back while keeping it straight, twisting her wrist when she can't physically lower it any more. "You want to twist your wrist when it is in the water so you can paddle, then push on the water so you can move forward."

Jasper does so slowly, repeating the motions a few times. "Um, am I moving?"

"Not yet, darling. You have to bring your other arm into it, too. Switch between them so you can start paddling."

Jasper brings his other arm up and behind him, then repeats the process over and over, alternating which arm he paddles with. He manages to push himself through the water a little, making Sylvia take a few steps to stay with him.

"Oh Jasper~" Sylvia singsongs. "It is time for the most fun part of swimming."

Jasper doesn't respond. He just keeps paddling, seemingly without a care in the world, except for a worry line between his brows.

"Jaspeeerrrr!" Sylvia repeats a little louder.

Jasper startles a little, getting more water on his body. He stops paddling, looking at Sylvia with an undecipherable expression.

Sylvia gives Jasper a smile. "We are going to go over the most fun part of swimming."

"What is that?" Jasper furrows his brows.

"Kicking, of course!" Sylvia clasps her hands together. "In order to swim properly, you have to kick.

Jasper glances at his legs. "But I will sink…"

"Not to worry! Sylvia the lifeguard will keep you from drowning!" Sylvia deepens her voice and puffs her chest.

Jasper purses his lips and stays still.

Sylvia clears her throat. "Anyway, you want to kick a little underneath the water, from the hips. Like this!" Sylvia leans back and floats on the water. She kicks out, making her movements slow and easy to follow. "Your turn!"

Sylvia looks at Jasper expectantly, only for Jasper's legs to stay still. They awkwardly look at one another. Sylvia gestures for Jasper to go ahead, and Jasper slowly kicks out. Sylvia smiles at the progress Jasper's making, her heart swelling with pride.

"Now all you have to do is add the paddling, and soon you will swim like a pro!"

Sylvia realizes her mistake a little too late, but surprisingly, Jasper doesn't insist on already swimming well. Instead, he uses his arms to propel himself forward, successfully treading water.

"That's it! You're doing it! You're doing it!" Sylvia squeals from sheer joy, bouncing on her toes. "Oh, you're doing fabulously! You're a natural!"

Jasper doesn't acknowledge Sylvia as he keeps swimming. Sylvia floats on her back and swims by his side. Only then does she get close enough to see his slight frown.

Sylvia furrows her brows. "Is something wrong?"

"…No." Jasper says so quietly Sylvia almost doesn't hear it.

"But you are being so quiet. Normally, you would be bragging like you just stole the show."

"And what of it?" Jasper's tone takes on a hint of annoyance. "Can I not spend a few minutes keeping my mouth shut?"

Sylvia blinks at Jasper. "I- All I wanted was to make sure you are alright…"

Jasper huffs through his nose. "How do I turn?"

"Uh," It takes Sylvia a minute to process the subject change. "Angle your legs away from where you want to go, and your body towards."

Jasper turns and swims to the beach without a word.

"H-hey, wait! Where are you going?" Sylvia stops swimming to shout.

"To shore!" Jasper shouts back without stopping.

"You can stand and walk!"

Jasper stops to let himself sink into the water. He makes eye contact with Sylvia for a moment before turning around and stomping off to the sandline. Sylvia swims after him, speeding up her strokes, but not so fast as to scare Jasper. By the time she gets to thigh-deep waters, Jasper is sitting where wet and dry sand meet, facing away from Sylvia.

Sylvia sits by Jasper and reaches out to him, but when her hand meets his shoulder, Jasper jerks his shoulder away. Sylvia puts her hand down and looks around.

"So, um… how do you feel?" Sylvia asks in replacement of physical comfort.

"Fine." Jasper grits out, entire body tense.

"Oh dear…" Sylvia mumbles. She racks her brain over what she could do to get Jasper to open up, or at least feel better. "Howwww about we build a pretty sand castle?"

Sylvia scoops up some sand and piles it up in a small mound. Then, she creates two smaller mound, and connects them to the big one with a line she draws through the sand. Jasper gives it a glance, but otherwise doesn't acknowledge it.

"It has been such a long time since I made a sand castle. I think I was… oh, four? Five?" Sylvia says to fill the silence. "I am not very good at this, but what matters is that I am trying." Sylvia digs a small pit circling around the mound. "Look, my castle is coming along so nicely! It even has a moat!"

Jasper gives it another glance, a ghost of a smile dancing on his lips. Sylvia builds a long wall of sand around the moat, some of the sand getting in the moat.

"You are supposed to use wet sand." Jasper finally pipes up with.

"Ohhhhh…" Sylvia drags out. "Thank you." She reaches behind her and gathers up wet sand, which she uses to replace the dry wall. "Wow, that is a lot better! Do you build sand castles often?"

"No, but when I went on vacation during my military days, I would sometimes build the biggest castle I could." Jasper scoots to face Sylvia. "I even had some special buckets designed for that specific purpose."

"Really?" Sylvia's brows rise.

Jasper nods as he starts carving into the wall with his finger. "They were shaped in such a manner that you would not have to cut into the sand in order to design it. The sand would already come out predesigned."

"You have to show me sometime." Sylvia doodles a smiley face on the largest pile of sand.

Jasper flashes a small smile for a brief moment. He reaches to the side and picks something up, fiddling with it. Then, he presses it into the wall. Syvia leans over to see it, then she smiles widely.

"Honey, that is genius! We can use the…" Sylvia trails off. "Concha de mar, concha de mar… Ugh, what are they called in Common? It's on the tip of my tongue…"

"Seashells?"

Sylvia snaps her fingers and points at Jasper. "Seashells! We can make our castle the prettiest sand castle in the world with them!"

"Is that so?" Jasper chuckles.

"Yes! If it ends up half as pretty as you, it will blow all the real castles out of the water!"

Jasper goes quiet at that. Sylvia starts scooping up as many shells as she can reach and gathering them in a pile next to the sand castle. Jasper takes some and carefully sticks them into the structures, while Sylvia shoves them wherever there is free space, making part of it fall apart.

"Sylvia, be careful!" Jasper catches some of the wet sand and carefully squishes it back in place. "You could destroy the castle like that!"

"Sorry, I got really excited there." Sylvia sheepishly apologizes, slowing down.

Jasper waves him off. "It is not a problem. It was…" Jasper mutters something under his breath, and Sylvia only catches 'cute'.

"What was that?"

"I said I am craving fruit!" Jasper half-shouts, too fast to be casual. 

Sylvia blinks and drops a shell. "I guess we could go back to that stall you mentioned earlier."

Jasper swallows. "We could… also… keep working on the castle."

Sylvia tilts her head to the side and rests her jaw on her fist. "What would you like to do?"

Jasper takes a moment to consider. "…I suppose we could come back later."

\-----

Sylvia crosses her legs as soon as she takes a seat. Jasper drops his used glass off in a basket before joining Sylvia on one of the stools. The back of Sylvia's neck tingles as she feels someone's gaze on her leg, but just like that, the moment passes, and all returns to normal.

"Welcome back." The stallkeeper greets upon turning to see Jasper, then he notices Sylvia sitting there. "Oh! Is this your girlfriend?"

You would think the stallkeeper told Jasper that his hair is stupid by the way Jasper reacts. Jasper gasps and splutters, face turning several shades darker as he chokes on his own saliva.

"I- I do not-!" Jasper rapidly looks betwwen Sylvia and the stallkeeper. "You- She is not-!" 

Sylvia looks at Jasper with a slight blush and her mouth open. "Do you…?"

"I see how it is." The stallkeeper smirks. "She's your wife, isn't she?"

Sylvia squeals and buries her face in her hands, rocking her body side to side as she mutters about how embarassing this situation is.

Jasper groans and puts his face in his hand. "We. Are not. Romantically. Involved." He grits out, hand muffling his words. "In fact, I hate romance. It makes me want to hurl whenever someone even mentions it."

"Is that why you forgot this last week?"

The resulting shriek makes Sylvia peek through her fingers. The stallkeeper is holding up a cheap romance novel titled 'A Rose by Any Other Name'. The title is red, with a slightly cartoonish rose in place of the 'o' in rose. A shirtless man with heavily defined muscles and long flowing hair sits atop a frankly adorable horse. Sylvia read that book once, when she was still training to become a knight. All she remembers about it is that it's about a fallen knight redeemed through the power of love, and that he was initially enemies with the protagonist before they fell in love.

"Give that back this instant!" Jasper reaches over and yanks the book from the stallkeeper's grasp without giving him a chance to hand it over. Jasper mutters something under his breath. He turns and finds Sylvia staring at him. "This- this is not mine."

The stallkeeper laughs at Jasper. "Anyway, what can I get for you two?"

Sylvia brings her hands down and looks at the menu above the stallkeeper's head. "Theeeee… Acaì Power Blast."

"I want a strawberry, blueberry, and kiwi smoothie." Jasper orders, keeping one hand on the counter as he blocks the book from Sylvia's view with his body. "With honey."

"That will be thirty gold."

Sylvia snaps her fingers, making a coin purse appear in her hand, but Jasper shoves her hands down.

"I will pay." Jasper insists as he brings his own purse out.

"Such a gentleman." Sylvia purrs, letting her hand drag against Jasper's as Jasper slowly pulls his own hand away to get the money out.

Jasper says nothing as he dumps the coins onto the counter. The stallkeeper quickly counts them out, then gathers them up, puts them somewhere under the counter, and turns around to start making the smoothies.

"Romance novels, huh?" Sylvia smirks, leaning towards Jasper.

Jasper visibly shrinks back. "I… I do not… partake in those… books. I am merely… holding them… for a friend."

"Uh-huh. And I am the long lost princess of Zwaardsrust." Sylvia lies, making Jasper shift around uncomfortably. "Be honest, do you like that book?"

Jasper crosses his arms and scowls. "I am the one paying for your drink."

"I was not accusing you, darling. In fact, I read it too!"

"Is that so?" Jasper's eyes slightly widen.

"Yes! I read it when I was just a little squire first getting into love." Sylvia sighs dreamily. "I don't remember much of it, but that enemies to lovers trope made my tween heart go pitter-patter!"

The corner of Jasper's mouth turns upward. "I personally do not care for that trope, but I do enjoy the redemption arc so far, even if it is cheesy."

"We should read it together. I have been DYING to read it again." Sylvia's eyes light up at the thought of rereading something from her childhood, even though she doesn't remember much of it.

Jasper doesn't look when the stallkeeper slides their drinks over. He just lifts the straw to his lips and takes a sip before speaking. "Perhaps I will read it out loud later. If I do not get sunburnt, that is."

"Why would that keep you from reading with me?" Sylvia reaches for her drink.

Jasper sucks in a breath. "When I was a mere human, I would get sunburnt easily, and badly enough that I would blister. It would put me in a foul mood for days, and I would not get anything done. I haven't a clue as to whether I could get sunburnt so easily now."

Sylvia ponders that as she drinks her smoothie. "You know, if you do get sunburnt, I could rub aloe vera into your back. It does wonders for burns, but it also makes the skin feel nice and soft." Sylvia drops her voice and leans forward, resting her hand atop Jasper's.

Jasper yanks his hand away and glares at Sylvia. "Stop that. It is not funny in the slightest."

"Wait, whaaat?"

"Do not act like you are oblivious to your own actions! You keep mocking me!"

"H-how am I mocking you?!"

"You know exactly how you are doing it!"

"That does not help me!"

"Because you already know!"

"Oh, for the love of-" Sylvia pinches the bridge of her nose and counts to ten. "I am going to walk away and use the restroom. I am going to take my time so that we can both calm down." Sylvia stands up and walks away without looking back, forcing herself to take deep, even breaths.

\-----

Sylvia dries her hands off with the provided towel. She makes sure her hands are spotless and dry before checking her appearance in the mirror. She brushes back stray strands of hair, cleans the sand off her skin, and checks all her jewelry is on her before stepping out. Her mind keeps going over her argument with Jasper, brief as it was, trying to figure out what went wrong. Jasper mentioned that he thought Sylvia was mocking him, but no matter how Sylvia looks at it, she couldn't have mocked Jasper.

As Sylvia approaches the stall again, she slows her stride down, allowing Jasper a few more moments to himself. But as she gets close, she hears Jasper speaking with the stallkeeper. Sylvia stops and ducks behind a flower pot.

"…See the point of it. She surely does not feel the same way."

"Of course she does! Didn't you see her? She was interested in you!"

"No, she was not. She was mocking me like, like we are mere children."

"Or she was making a move in the hopes you'd reciprocate." A pause. "Look, you'll apologize for being a bull-headed pig if you know what's good for you. Goddess knows she won't put up with this forever."

The conversation seems to end. Sylvia comes out from her hiding spot and comes back to Jasper, keeping her steps loud and obvious so as to not startle Jasper. Jasper watches as Sylvia sits on the stool, then they both sip on their respective smoothies.

"Do you feel any better?" Sylvia asks.

"Slightly."

"Um, do you want to talk about earlier?"

"No."

This does not give Sylvia anything to work with. She racks her brain for ways she can get Jasper to open up. "Is that smoothie good?"

"Yes." Jasper nods.

"Can I have a sip?"

Jasper holds the glass out to Sylvia. Sylvia leans over, brings the straw to her mouth, and drinks a little bit of the smoothie. The honey in the smoothie coats her tongue in the most pleasant manner, and for a moment, she wonders of that's what Jasper's lips would taste like. But all good things must come to an end, and Sylvia lets the straw drop from her lips.

"That is good." Sylvia comments.

Jasper brings the glass to his chest and fiddles with the straw. "I know."

An awkward silence follows. Sylvia finishes her drink in one sip while Jasper nurses it more slowly, but without taking his mouth off the straw. Even the stallkeeper stays quiet as he wipes down an already-clean spot on the counter.

"How about we go for a walk?" Sylvia suggests, getting up and dumping her glass in the basket, and the straw in the trash.

"…Alright." Jasper puts his glass in the basket, but keeps the straw between his lips. Then, he starts walking with Sylvia, keeping his head down.

It hurts Sylvia inside to see Jasper so… muted. Normally, he and Sylvia would be bantering back and forth, but now Jasper won't even look at her. Does he feel guilty over raising his voice earlier? Is he just upset over whatever it is Sylvia said or did to offend him?

"How do you feel?" Sylvia can't help but ask.

Jasper looks to the side.

"Jasper, I-I want to talk about earlier. What was that all about?"

"…You know." Jasper mutters.

"I would not be asking if I knew."

Jasper turns to glare at Sylvia. "What is there to talk about? You were mocking me."

"That is exactly what I was wondering about. I have no idea what I did to make you think that."

Jasper scoffs. "You are a liar."

Sylvia clenches her jaw before forcing it to relax. "Accusing me of lying will not help either of us. Please, just tell me what's wrong."

"You have been mocking me all day." Jasper says, almost nonchalantly.

"I- How-" Sylvia stutters. "What are you talking about?"

"Your mockery." Jasper shrugs.

"You aren't helping!" Sylvia groans in frustration.

Jasper rips the straw out of his mouth. "You were the one making fun of me in front of the smoothie maker!"

"Again, I don't know what you are talking about!"

"Yes you do! You knew exactly what you were doing!"

Sylvia clenches her fists and opens her mouth, then at the last second closes it along with her eyes, takes a deep breath, and counts to ten before she speaks again. "Let's take this somewhere private." 

Sylvia brings her hand to Jasper's back and, after checking for potential muggers, guides him into an empty alley. Jasper trips over a stray bottle, almost faceplanting on the hard, uneven pavement, but Sylvia catches him by the arm just in time and pulls him to his feet.

"Are you okay, darling?" Sylvia asks, her touch lingering.

Jasper yanks himself out of Sylvia's grasp. "Hmph! Funny you should care about me now."

"What do you mean?" The corners of Sylvia's eyebrows tilt downward, while the inside rises.

"Have you taken a look at your behavior today? You have been callous, even downright cruel towards me since we arrived at the beach." Jasper bites woth nothing but ice in his tone.

"But I offered to heal you when the umbrella hit you!" Sylvia points out.

"That does not erase the way you kept treating me again, and again, and again. I could tolerate a verbal quip or two, but I cannot tolerate putting up with this treatment all. Day. Long." Jasper growls, canines lengthening almost imperceptively.

"What treatment?! All I've done is be nice to you! I shared one of my towels with you! I built a sand castle with you! Hell, I even taught you how to swim!"

"And you mocked me for falling in love with you at every available opportunity! How could you possibly say you were kind to me?!" Jasper accusatorily points a finger at Sylvia.

All goes quiet. Both Jasper's and Sylvia's eyes grow wide, and they stare at one another, stock still as Jasper's words sink in. Jasper's finger curls in as an expression of terror takes his face.

"Did you say you… fell in love with me?" Sylvia whispers as though breaking the silence would bring about catastrophic consequences.

Jasper pulls his hand back and fiddles with his straw. "…I assumed you knew." He whispers back, lower lip trembling like a leaf.

"I… I did not." 

All is quiet once again. This time, it is Jasper who talks first. "I should go." Jasper turns on his heel and sprints away… or he would, if Sylvia didn't grab his wrist first, preventing Jasper from fleeing.

"No no no no no! Don't leave yet!" Sylvia's grip is tight like steel as she desperately tries to keep Jasper with her. "I- I like you too!"

Jasper shakes his head, clutching his straw to his chest so tightly it gets warped to a flat shape. "Do not try to spare my feelings. I understand."

"No, I really do like you!" Sylvia's eyes water. "I've been flirting with you all day long, hoping you'd notice how I felt and, I-I do not know, say something?"

Jasper tugs with his arm, but Sylvia doesn't budge. "Let me go."

"No. Not until we settle this. You like me, and I like you. So what is the problem?"

Jasper bows his head, and his shoulders shake. "You do not care about me in the slightest. You said you would support me when I started to float. You… you went back on your word." Jasper's voice cracks.

Sylvia gasps. "Jasper…"

"Don't." Jasper holds his hand up. "I know how you truly feel. You would have let me drown. I even suspect you lured me out for that purpose."

"I was trying to show you you could float on your own." Sylvia quietly explains, taking a step towards Jasper. "The water was shallow enough that you could have stood up. And if you could not, I would have fished you out. But, um, in hindsight… it was a nasty trick. I am sorry. I did not think about how you would feel."

Sylvia finally lets go of Jasper, fully prepared for Jasper to walk away and let whatever they have between them die. But Jasper only looks over his shoulder.

"Did you mean it? When you said you… like me?" There is a slight tremble to Jasper's voice.

"Goddess, yes." Sylvia's throat clenches, and she swallows the lump in her throat. "I… adore you."

Jasper slowly turns around. Streaks of water stain his face, framing his eyes and downturned lips. He throws his arms around Sylvia without warning and engulfs her in a crushing hug. Sylvia hugs back out of reflex, and as she processes the hug, she squeezes Jasper even tighter.

"I love you." Jasper sobs into Sylvia's shoulder.

"I love you too." Sylvia rubs Jasper's back as she starts to cry.

"And here I thought you were flirting as part of a cruel joke…" Jasper breaks the hug to rub his eyes.

"Why would you think that?" Sylvia's hand comes to grasp Jasper's without her awareness.

Jasper blinks a few times, looks away, and squeezes Sylvia's hand. "When I was a boy, I held feelings for another boy. I wrote about it in a diary. Well, um, someone stole it and read it out loud in front of every boy I was training with, the one I held feelings for included. That boy, he… made my life miserable. He would ask me out, flirt with me, touch me… all as a joke amongst him and his friends. And when we were alone, he would…" Jasper swallows. "Gather his friends, and they would all beat me while screaming about how I was a… a f…" Jasper's grip becomes so tight that it hurts, but Sylvia doesn't stop holding on for a second. "The adults in my life would not help me. I had to put up with the bullying until I returned to Heliodor years later. I had assumed I already got over it, but, um, I suppose I did not."

"Oh, Jasper…" Sylvia is the one to initiate the hug this time, even interlocking her fingers with Jasper's instead of letting go of his hand. "I am so sorry you had to go through that. You should not have been hurt for who you love."

Jasper takes a deep breath. "What is done is done. There is no use dwelling on it. But… I do appreciate it."

Sylvia smiles and smooths out Jasper's hair. "Would you like to hear my worst pick-up lines?"

Jasper snorts. "Go ahead."

"Are you a littering ticket? Because you have fine written all over you!" Sylvia adds a cheesy wink at the end.

Jasper smiles a little. "That is not the worst I have ever heard, I will admit."

"Really? In that case… do you have a name? Or can I call you mine?"

"Do you mean Sylvando or Sylvia?"

"No, honey. As in 'this person is mine.'"

"Oh." Jasper blushes and scratches the back of his head. "I see."

"Want to hear my absolute worst one?"

"Will I regret this?"

"Mm, maybe." Sylvia gives Jasper a knowing smile.

"I feel as though as shall… Go ahead."

Sylvia chuckles. "Have you been," Sylvia snorts. "Covered in- in-" Sylvia bursts out laughing, ducking her head to the side.

"What?" Jasper looks at Sylvia funny. "Spit it out!"

When Sylvia's laughter dies down, she tries again. "Have you been covered in bees recently?" Sylvia can't hold back a few laughs. "I just assumed, because you, ha ha ha! You look sweeter than honey!"

Jasper stares at Sylvia completely emotionless. Then, his chest starts shaking, and before he knows it, he's laughing with Sylvia. "That- that took me a few moments!"

"I know! It is sooo bad!" Sylvia wipes away a stray tear.

"How did you ever come up with such a terrible pick-up line?"

"I have no clue, I was seven! I thought it was good at the time!" Sylvia starts laughing anew. "Even my papi said it was good!"

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he told you a bold-faced lie." Jasper lets his forehead fall onto Sylvia's shoulder.

"I can see that now." Sylvia chuckles. "Goddess, your laugh is so cute."

"It is?" Jasper smiles.

"Yes!" Sylvia squeals, picking Jasper up and twirling him around. "You have the absolute cutest laugh in the whole wide world!"

"H-hey!" Jasper shrieks in delight. "Put me down!"

Sylvia laughs and does just that. She glances at Jasper's lips for a moment. "Darling?"

"Yes?" Jasper pushes his hair out of his face.

"May I kiss you?"

Jasper freezes. "I- I- um… about that…"

"Is it too soon?"

Jasper nods.

"I understand. Maybe after a few dates." Sylvia smiles and takes Jasper's hand. "How about I treat you to a little something at the bakery, to celebrate our brand-new relationship?"

"Although I do enjoy the thought of eating sweets with you," Jasper takes Sylvia's hand and squeezes it. "I must insist on paying for them myself."

"I will not have it! You already paid for our smooties! It is my turn to pay."

"I see we are already getting into wars over who will pay for dates." Jasper jokes with a smirk. "I will back down. For now."

Sylvia smiles wide. "Then what are we waiting for? To the bakery!" Sylvia dramatically points in the general direction of the bakery.

They walk out of the alley, hand in hand with smiles on both their faces. Sylvia can't resist hopping her way down the streets as she swings her and Jasper's hands. It's not long before they walk into the bakery, where the aroma of freshly-baked goods await them. A single person is behind the counter, restocking some of the items on display. As soon as she sees the pair, she finishes up and puts her tray behind her.

"Welcome! What can I get for you?" She greets with a warm smile.

Sylvia slightly ducks down to examine the sweet treats. "Oh my, they all look so good!"

Jasper frowns. "I do not recognize any of these."

"Not to worry, the Great Sylvia will help you out!" Sylvia proudly declares as she puffs her chest out.

Jasper holds a finger up, then uses it to point to a rectangular slice of layered bread. "What is that?"

"That, darling, is a hojaldra. It is layered bread with cheese in the middle."

"What about that one?" Jasper points at something shaped like a cupcake and baked inside folded paper.

"That is a mantecada." Sylvia squeezes Jasper's hand and looks him in the eye. "It's a cute little muffin, just like you."

Jasper groans and hides his face behind his free hand. "I. Am not. Cute." Jasper says in an absolutely adorable manner.

Sylvia giggles. "If you say so… my muffin."

Jasper groans even louder. "Just- get me the muffin."

Sylvia takes a moment to commit her embarassed boyfriend to memory, then turns to the baker. "One mantecada and a polvorón, please." Sylvia snaps her coin purse into existence, pays for the food, then snaps the purse out of existence again.

The baker puts both into different slips of wax paper, then hands them over. "Here you go! I hope you enjoy it."

"Thank you, dearie!" Sylvia takes them with a smile, managing to balance both with one hand. She snaps the purse away, then gives the mantecada to Jasper.

Jasper goes to a table by the window and pulls a chair out. However, he doesn't sit in it. Sylvia takes the hint and sits in it with a smile. Jasper sits across from her and picks the wrapper off the mantecada.

"Is that a cookie?" Jasper asks.

"Yep!" Sylvia takes a bite into her polvorón, and it immediately crumbles into a million pieces. Sylvia takes in the mess she made on her chest, then bursts out laughing. "This always happens when I try to eat these little things." She brushes the crumbs off with her hand.

Sylvia does not miss the way Jasper's eyes follow her hand. Sylvia bites off a large chunk that was close to falling off, then licks her lips to see how Jasper would react. Jasper doesn't seem to notice, still staring at Sylvia's hand. Sylvia reaches out to Jasper, and after a moment, Jasper takes her hand and runs his thumb over her knuckles.

"Do you play the piano?" Sylvia says after a minute.

"I… yes." Jasper's eyes grow wide. "How did you know?"

"Mm, lucky guess." Sylvia smiles. "Since you have lovely hands…"

Jasper's thumb comes to massage the back of Sylvia's hand. "Thank you." After a moment, Jasper's eyes widen again. "Were you flirting with me just now?" He gasps.

"Yes, silly." Sylvia smiles and leans forward. She brings her other hand to slide up Jasper's forearm before coming to rest on his wrist.

Jasper shoves the rest of his mantecada in his mouth as his face grows darker. Sylvia can feel his leg bounce as Jasper looks anywhere but at Sylvia and rapidly chews. Jasper's chest abruptly seizes, and he raises his fist to his mouth.

"Are you okay?"

Jasper raises a finger, swallows, then lowers it. "Yes, I am."

"Phew!" Sylvia dramatically wipes nonexistent sweat from her brow. "I was sure you were choking for a minute there!"

Jasper smiles a little. "I appreciate the concern." Then, he frowns and looks away. "And here I was, acting cold towards you all day." Jasper sighs. "I feel like a… a…"

"A meanie?"

"…That is not the word I would have used, but yes." Jasper nods. "I apologize for my behavior. I acted immature because… well, I already told you why."

"Oh, don't even mention it, muffin." Sylvia waves a dismissive hand away. "I get it. Bullies are awful."

Jasper fiddles with Sylvia's thumb. "Did you see that man you mentioned earlier?"

"…What man?"

"The one you said you were attracted to." After a moment, Jasper adds: "Just after you changed into your swimsuit."

Sylvia blinks, racking her brain for what Jasper could possibly be talking about. After several seconds, it hits her. "I was talking about you, silly."

"…OH." Jasper hits his face and slowly drags it down. "I am a fool. An idiotic, foolish, bumbling fool."

"That makes two of us, muffin." Sylvia squeezes Jasper's hand. "We are just two fools in love."

"I suppose that means we go together."

Sylvia chuckles. Her eyes drift to the window, where reddish rays peek in to rest on the tabletop. "We have been out for a long time."

"Do you… want to go home?"

"Mm," Sylvia considers it with a slight frown. "Sure. I would not want the boys back home getting worried, after all."

They get up together, keeping their hands interlinked. Jasper pushes the door open and allows Sylvia to step through first before Jasper goes through and shuts the door behind them.

"Do you have everything with you?" Sylvia asks.

"I left it all in your bag."

Both their eyes bulge out. They immediately let go of one another and start running to the beach, making a beeline for their improvised camp. They don't relax until Sylvia reaches her bag, picks it up, and holds it for Jasper to see. A few minutes later, they have both changed into their respective clothes and start breaking their camp.

"You need to get a better umbrella. This one is… well, there is no nice way to put this. It is awful and nearly nonfunctional." Jasper comments as he ties the umbrella shut.

"But it is so pretty! Just look at all the roses!"

Jasper sighs and shakes his head. "You certainly love your roses."

"Of course I do! They smell so good, and they are soooo beautiful!" Sylvia presses her hands to her heart and wistfully sighs. "I could go on all day about those little things."

"Is that so?" Jasper hefts the umbrella onto his back.

"Yes!" Sylvia picks her bag up and holds it with one hand. "Can you tell I absolutely love roses?"

"I would have never guessed." Jasper starts walking down the beach with Sylvia, sporting a sincere smile on his face. He looks out into the distance and squints. "Is that your father?"

Sylvia follows Jasper's gaze to an old man in an ugly black speedo reclining on a towel a short distance away. "Oh my gosh, that is!"

"Hm." Jasper pushes his bangs out of his face. "Shall we approach him and say hello?"

"I would, but knowing papi, he is probably napping by now, and he gets really grumpy if someone wakes him up." Sylvia frowns just slightly.

Jasper looks at Sylvia, then back at Rodrigo. His smile grows in size, becoming more dastardly with each passing moment, as though he is plotting out a diabolically genius plan. "Follow me and stay quiet."

"Muffin, what are you doing?"

"Sh." Jasper holds his finger to his mouth and carefully sneaks up to Rodrigo. He circles around Rodrigo's legs, sits down, then gestures for Sylvia to join him. 

Sylvia kneels opposite from Jasper. Jasper sets the umbrella down and scoops some sand up with both hands and pours it over Rodrigo's legs. He does this once more before understanding dawns on Sylvia. She starts carefully dumping sand on Rodrigo, both her and Jasper pausing whenever Rodrigo snorts, scratches an itch, or otherwise moves. After Rodrigo stills, Sylvia and Jasper resume their giggly activities.

When Rodrigo's legs are completely covered in sand, plus some misshapen triangles that connect to where his feet would be, Jasper picks up two scallops and hands one to Sylvia. Sylvia watches Jasper draw some scales on top of Rodrigo's thigh before she joins in and draws some lines down the triangles. She can't stop giggling at her and Jasper's antics, and as a result, the lines she draws end up being shaky. However, she can't bring herself to care, not when she's being such a troublemaker.

Jasper leans to the side and starts carving near Sylvia's lines. As he draws a squiggly line to represent more scales, he brushes against Rodrigo's toe, making him jolt awake. Rodrigo pushes himself upright with both hands and blinks the sleep away from his eyes. Jasper and Sylvia freeze and eye each other as Rodrigo processes their prescence. Rodrigo's eyebrows raise comically high as he takes in his brand-new mermaid tail and connects the dots.

"¡Ay!" Rodrigo exclaims, vein on his forehead bulging in time with his mustache twitches.

"Run!" Sylvia scrambles to her feet, barely remembering her bag in her rush to get away.

Jasper grabs Sylvia's umbrella and runs as fast as he can, following closely behind Sylvia. A rogue flip flop strikes Sylvia in the back, making her look back in surprise.

"For the love of the goddess, you are grown adults!" Rodrigo screams, shaking his fist and acting as though he is going to get up and chase them. "Stop acting like children!"

Jasper nearly trips over his own two feet as he runs with Sylvia. It's not until they've left the beach behind that they duck into a gazebo and stop. Sylvia and Jasper plop down onto a bench and do one last check around them before relaxing.

"Darling, did you see the look on his face?" Sylvia pants.

Jasper nods. "I have never seen anyone grow so… dramatically livid in such a short time span."

Sylvia snorts. She and Jasper look into each other's eyes, and immediately have to look elsewhere as giggles overtake them. Tiny giggles become soft laughter become outright boisterous cackling, making Sylvia clutch her belly and slap her thigh while Jasper rocks back and forth, holding onto Sylvia's shoulder with one hand to support himself.

"I've never!" Sylvia can barely edge in between her own laughs. "Done something! Like that! To, to my…" Sylvia can't finish her sentence, tummy clenching too hard to allow speech.

Jasper's laughs are a little faster to die down, leaving him shaking from exhaustion and happiness. He replaces his hand with his cheek and breathes deep, grinning like an idiot. As soon as Sylvia trusts herself to not be overcome with laughter again, she yawns, stretches her arms high above her head, and spreads them in opposite directions, with one arm coming to rest around Jasper's shoulders in a totally accidental manner.

"Sylvia?"

"Yes, muffin?"

"I would not mind hearing you laugh more often."

Sylvia giggles. "Same to you, sweetie." She boops Jasper on the nose, earning several surprised blinks from Jasper. "Goddess, you are so cute!"

"I-I am not!" Jasper denies as his cheeks grow dark.

"You are a little cutie patootie!"

"Stooooop!" Jasper buries his face in Sylvia's shoulder.

Sylvia laughs again. "Fine, I will stop." Sylvia's arm bends, coming to hug Jasper out of complete happenstance.

Jasper exhales a deep breath before daring to come out of his hiding spot. Sylvia tucks a stray lock of Jasper's hair behind his ear, coming to cup his cheek. Jasper's eyes flutter shut, and he tilts his face into Sylvia's touch. It's agony to see those soft, parted lips of Jasper's and to be close enough to kiss them, but resist the urge to close the distance between the two of them. 

Jasper's eyes open, and he shakes Sylvia's hand off. "Before we, um… officially become… lovers, there is a matter you should know of."

Sylvia tilts her head to the side. "I am listening…"

"I have never… been with a… a woman. Or nonbinary individual. I, um, only have experience with men. In a romantic sense, that is." Jasper fiddles with the ends of his hair. "Wait… you are a man sometimes. Um… what I mean to say is…"

"Do not worry, muffin, I get what you are trying to say." Sylvia smiles and takes Jasper's hand. "Like they say, there is a first time for everything."

"So it is not an issue?"

"Not in the slightest!" Sylvia gives Jasper a reassuring smile as she squeezes his hand.

The tension Sylvia didn't realize was in Jasper's body disappears in an instant. Jasper embraces Sylvia, tucking his head into Sylvia's neck. The sight of it melts Sylvia's heart, filling her entire being with love. Love for Jasper.

"May I kiss you?" Sylvia asks before her mind can catch up.

Jasper does not respond. Sylvia thinks he didn't hear for a second, until Jasper pulls away, turns his cheek towards Sylvia, and taps it. Sylvia closes her eyes and crosses the slight yet monumental distance between them.

The moment lips met skin, fireworks soared high and burst into a million colors, but they did not inhabit the sky. They were within two lovers, shielded from prying eyes by the shade of the gazebo.

**Author's Note:**

> i wanted to finish this by v-day, but life got in the way, so heres to discount chocolate day!


End file.
